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en-usCopyright 2015 AOL, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/09/google-goes-mmo-ish-with-lively/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/09/google-goes-mmo-ish-with-lively/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/09/google-goes-mmo-ish-with-lively/#commentsFiled under: Culture, PC, Online, MMO

Google'stakeoverofeverycorneroftheWeb continues today with a public beta of Lively, an MMO-style social networking browser plug-in. Users create a personalized avatar and gather in custom-designed rooms to walk around, chat and perform scripted animations. It's not a game per se, but users have already started turning their rooms into virtual versions of games like chess and variousrole-playingscenarios.

As the community evolves, you can expect Lively to evolve into a sort of Second Life-style do-anything space, with a wide array of self-styled gaming areas. The question remains: Is Google staking its claim to the future of social gaming, or is it just another Johnny-come-lately in the newest social networking fad?

The technology is being shown off at the CTIA wireless event this week in Las Vegas, and will allow users to access the 3D world of Second Life, as well as communicate with in-game avatars via text and SMS. The application is due to launch on Samsung phones running Softboard software in the second half of this year. Huzzah?

Linden Lab's CEO Philip Rosedale, the man behind Second Life, told Reuters today that he'll be stepping down from his position and the company will seek someone with more management expertise to replace him. Rosedale will become chairman of the Linden Lab board when a successor is found and he'll stay active at the company in product development and strategy.

Rosedale's replacement will be tasked with regaining the momentum that Second Life once had when it was the hip thing for academics and business journalists to write and talk about. Although nothing is expected to be announced in the next year, Bill Gurley of Bechmark Capital believes the company could go public "at some point in the future."

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>linden-labslindenlabsPCphilip-rosedalerosedalesecond-lifesecondlifeFri, 14 Mar 2008 16:35:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/08/emmy-awards-given-to-nintendo-ds-wii-and-atari-lynx/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/08/emmy-awards-given-to-nintendo-ds-wii-and-atari-lynx/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/08/emmy-awards-given-to-nintendo-ds-wii-and-atari-lynx/#commentsFiled under: Culture, Nintendo DS, Retro, Nintendo Wii, FashionLast year's inexplicable granting of an Emmy Award to practically every game system ever invented apparently went so well that the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS) decided to dip its toes into gaming again this year. Last night's Engineering Emmy Awards ceremony at CES included a bevy of awards for "Engineering & Technology for Creation and Implementation of Video Games and Platforms." Just trips off the tongue, doesn't it?

The most notable winner was Nintendo, which got a coveted "game controller innovation" Emmy for its Wii and DS systems (because, really, why narrow it down to one? Since when have awards been about exclusivity?). Nintendo won a similar award for the NES d-pad last year, and used the repeat performance to talk up "even more exciting control innovations from Nintendo in 2008," such as Wii Balance Board and the Wii Wheel, in a press release. Color us skeptical that either of these will have the impact of the d-pad, but still ...

The other game-related awards given were notable mainly for their expansive view of video game history. Recent games like Second Life and World of Warcraft shared billing in their wins with classics like Quake and Pinball Construction Set in this year's awards. That's cool and all, but ATAS really showed its old-school gamer cred by giving a "Handheld Game Device Display Screen Innovation" award to the Atari Lynx, of all things. Way to keep up with the times, TV industry. Hey, how about, at our next awards show, we return the favor by giving special awards to All in The Family and "Color TV," the latter for "outstanding use of color in a cathode ray tube device." Wouldn't you all feel special then?

We'd also like to call out "The Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Advanced Media Technology for Best Use of Commercial Advertising on Stand-Alone Broadband Devices (Personal Computers)," which should win its own award for "most amazingly specific award category in the history of mankind."

Second Life's Chief Technology Officer Cory Ondrejka is leaving the company to "pursue new professional challenges." The New York Times reports that Ondrejka, who basically oversaw the code which makes Second Life, will leave his No. 4 position at developer Linden Labs by the end of the year.

Linden Labs CEO Philip Rosedale says the needs of the company are changing and Ondrejka doesn't seem to be part of those needs. Second Life, according to the NYT, is suffering from hackers and other intertube related issues. Ondrejka was the man behind SL users retaining intellectual property rights to their virtual creations, which created the thriving e-commerce developer Linden Labs currently enjoys with the virtual world.

When virtual worlds hit mainstream culture, they hit hard. First, it was a recent episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, featuring a fictional game called "Another YOUniverse" (we know, we know). Then, it was last night's CSI: New York, which had a criminal investigation taking part inside Second Life.

Now, it's NBC's The Office, featuring video games prominently in an episode for the second time as the annoying beet farmer / paper salesman Dwight K. Schrute explores Second Life amidst the other office hijinks.

While we're still a tad burnt out from previous bursts of Second Life hype, we're curious to see how The Office cast members interact with the world. The episode airs tonight at 9/8c on NBC.

We don't typically get political here on Joystiq, but there's something we've just got to say: Dennis Kucinich is exactly like Billy Joel. (And no, it's not just that he married someone far more attractive than himself.) If you get a group sitting around a table and one mentions that he likes Billy Joel, slowly the whole table will start to open up, going from "Yeah, 'River of Dreams' was pretty good" to "Actually, I celebrate the guy's entire canon." That's what Kucinich is like for Democrats: They secretly love him, but you know they're going to go for the safe pick like Clinton or Obama. Or, to continue our earlier analogy, Bob Dylan.

Perhaps that's why Dennis Kucinich opening up shop in the real world's digital consolation prize, Second Life, makes so much sense. Perhaps avatars will be able to express their true feelings, letting Kucinich supporters really fly their flags. Who knows? Maybe it could translate to him opening up a gap, getting the nomination and taking the presidency. ... Well, president of Second Life. But you've got to start somewhere.

Cable channel HBO has picked up the documentary Molotov's Dispatches in Search of the Creator: a Second Life Odyssey for airing sometime in 2008. The seven webisodes from Douglas Gayeton, totaling 35 minutes in length, showcase the virtual world of Second Life from the perspective of an in-game avatar.

The documentary is still available on Molotov Alva's website. As Animation Magazine notes, the video could be eligible for submission to the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences for Best Animated Short (or perhaps Best Documentary). In the setting of machinima, however, who gets credit for the animation: Gayeton, SL creators Linden Labs, the residents featured in the film? Regardless, Molotov represents a major step in the field of machinima.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hbolindenlabsmachinimamolotovsecondlifeTue, 11 Sep 2007 20:53:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/20/give-second-life-players-what-they-deserve/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/20/give-second-life-players-what-they-deserve/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/20/give-second-life-players-what-they-deserve/#comments
... free Gamecubes. Second Lifer KeikoYanai Yue has created an object that should help people have fun while they're pretending they aren't playing a game: a Gamecube launcher that can litter the buggy landscape with flying Nintendo lunchboxes. We don't know if we're happy that the Wii's predecessor is gaining new life as a projectile, or insulted that somebody wants to fire them out of a cannon. Mostly we're just a little giggly.

We like thinking about the silly part of Second Life that creates funny Gamecube launchers and looks like Kirby interacting with all of the businesses and libraries that have set up shop ingame, doing Very Important Work. They're all gathering together to create a world that makes no damn sense.

Before you idly start chatting up your group in your favorite MMO from now on, you may want to check and make sure you're not on the record with Virtual World Productions, a new organization that has charged its 30 reporters with collecting news from, well, virtual worlds like World of Warcraft and Second Life. And no, it's not what you're thinking.

Curiously, the group is headed by Live Planet, a venture by pals Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. So, we can safely expect a really great initial outing followed by some poor choices, an eventual artistic renaissance and a widely-publicized yet ill-fated romance with Jennifer Lopez.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>mmoPCsecondlifeworldofwarcraftMon, 13 Aug 2007 19:10:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/11/second-life-sex-program-lawsuit/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/11/second-life-sex-program-lawsuit/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/11/second-life-sex-program-lawsuit/#commentsFiled under: Culture, PCA sex program for virtual world Second Life has forced its owner to hire real-world lawyers to hunt down the identity of a person who has been allegedly reselling his work. Kevin Alderman, who created the sex program and owns Eros LLC, makes realistic genitalia and creates sexual moves for Second Life citizens. He's been doing it for about four years now. An avatar named "Volkov Catteneo" stole the code Alderman created and has been reselling it. When Alderman confronted the avatar, the person behind it said, "What are you going to do? Sue me?" And that's exactly what Alderman is trying to do.

Linden Labs, who owns Second Life, says they are unaware of any other real-world litigation going on between customers of the game. The key to this suit is that items created by users in the game are "owned" by them, along with the copyright. Although this suit involves the titillating concept of sex, it's your run-of-the-mill copyright infringement and theft story. Alderman's suit does not specify damages but his lawyers are currently subpoenaing PayPal records and putting together the virtual paper trail of theft. Fred von Lohman, a lawyer for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, locks it up saying, "This seems like a relatively straightforward case. It sounds like there is a real copyright issue."

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aldermancopyrighteroslawsuitPCsecondlifesexSat, 11 Aug 2007 20:27:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/27/wiimote-brings-a-new-level-of-depth-to-second-life-training/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/27/wiimote-brings-a-new-level-of-depth-to-second-life-training/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/27/wiimote-brings-a-new-level-of-depth-to-second-life-training/#commentsThe idea of using the simulated world of Second Life as a training and educational hub isn't new -- in fact, it's even promoted on the official website. It looks like those Second Life simulations are about to get a lot more hands-on, however, thanks to the Wii remote ... which, it seems, really can doanything.

According to some, training in Second Life has thus far been somewhat limited. Sure, you can recreate nearly any physical environment, but what happens when you need to get a little more hands-on? Second Life can help, for example, a new worker for Orkin learn how to inspect a house, but what happens when virtual training requires the new employee to pick up a tool? Enter the Wii remote. Training on tools from screwdrivers to scalpels will now be much easier, and all without anyone getting dirty. The implications are so far-reaching that MIT research fellow David E. Stone calls the Wiimote "one of the most significant technology breakthroughs in the history of computer science." Wow, and we thought we were fans!

Stone's firm has been hired by Orkin and others to help create more fully-realized training simulations using Second Life and the Wii controller, and a consortium of European universities are even considering his services in the creation of a virtual cancer lab. Can the Wiimote help cure cancer? It looks like that could be a possibility.

Like everyone else, we're pretty sick of all the Second Life coverage; it seems like buying real estate in the massively multiplayer non-game is the modern, big-business equivalent of setting up a website for your dad's repair shop. Still, it's one thing when Mercedes sets up a virtual dealership, and a very different matter when Lumines and Rez's Tetsuya Mizuguchi decides to build a re-imagined Tokyo for the denizens of Linden Labs' mammoth world.

What makes Mizuguchi's Tokyo different than other architectural projects in Second Life is his intent in building the city. 1UP reports that rather than building an exact replica of the Japanese city, Mizuguchi wants to fashion his facsimile based on the perceptions of both locals and visitors. Speaking to 1UP, he states his hope that the project, which is a collaboration between himself and advertising firm Dentsu, can become a "museum of Japanese pop culture." We might need to dust off our Second Life avatars just to check it out when it launches.

No, probably not. But he is, according to an Associated Press report, prone to gaming. The tech nut in question is David Miliband, the new foreign secretary of Britain. Last year, he was the first British Cabinet minister to post a blog, but perhaps most exciting is this line from the report: "A technology buff, he also has an avatar in Second Life."

OK, fine, so it's not exactly a six-digit Gamerscore. But do you really want a world leader complaining about a guildie ninja looting his shoulders when he's supposed to be on a plane to the G8 summit? No, of course you don't. We think this is one case where it's OK for someone to remain a newb.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>britainprimeministersecondlifeFri, 29 Jun 2007 12:45:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/19/alliance-the-silent-war-possibly-shelved-due-to-second-life/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/19/alliance-the-silent-war-possibly-shelved-due-to-second-life/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/19/alliance-the-silent-war-possibly-shelved-due-to-second-life/#commentsWindward Mark Interactive's first next-gen offering may have been shelved due to their recent acquisition from Linden Lab, makers of Second Life. Last month, Linden Lab acquired Windward Mark for their graphic technologies, reportedly to assist in a graphical overhaul for Second Life. Asi Land, Windward Mark Interactive's president, says even he is unsure of the future of Alliance: The Silent War. "We'll see how it plays with our new roles here at Linden ... we're very much still in love with the project," said Mr. Land. Too early to count it out completely but at the same time, don't hold your breath. It's a shame too, because the technologies acquired by Linden Lab are quite impressive. For example Nimble, their 3D cloud system, is quite spectacular, although its inclusion in a shooter would likely lead to players staring at the clouds more than shooting people in the face. Nevertheless, we hope Windward's new home allows them to continue the project through to completion.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alliancealliance: the silent warAlliance:TheSilentWarasi landAsiLandlinden labLindenLabnimblesecond lifeSecondLifewindlightwindward mark interactiveWindwardMarkInteractiveTue, 19 Jun 2007 13:45:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/28/user-created-wmds-do-massage-damage-in-second-life-beta-test/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/28/user-created-wmds-do-massage-damage-in-second-life-beta-test/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/28/user-created-wmds-do-massage-damage-in-second-life-beta-test/#commentsFiled under: Hacks, PC, MMOVirtual world pioneer Randy Farmer loves to mess around with MMO games. As a beta tester for Second Life, Farmer was responsible for one of the first legendary events in the game: the Jessie Massacre. Out of curiosity, he created a weapon of mass destruction and unleashed it on a community of former WWII gamers. The resulting mayhem made him the target of more than a few nasty looks, but to the rest of the community he was thought of as a hero.

Using the SL creation tools, Farmer constructed tiny, almost invisible objects and programmed them to explode into dozens of fragments, flying out at maximum velocity and doing loads of damage. Afterwards the fragments teleport themselves to a random location and start the carnage again. The only way to stop them was for Farmer to shout "STOP!".

As you can guess, chaos ensued when the WMD was unleashed in the town of Jessie. Farmer quickly decided his completely scientific beta testing experiment was a success and went to disarm the grenades. Then he ran into a small problem: he couldn't find the little invisible buggers. With help from Linden labs he managed to remove the bombs, but the legend of the Jesse Massacre lives on.

Diehard Final FantasyVIIfans have recreated Midgar in virtual world Second Life. To make things even sweeter, they've even created an RPG sim in SL so that residents can fight and upgrade their way to notoriety. Weapons and materia (gems used for magic in the FFVII universe) can be bought for Linden bucks, which converts to real world money at a rate of approximately US $1 for every 270 Linden dollars.

According to New World Notes writer Onder Skall, the game has around 300 players. Our experience with the world proved it to be expansive; upon teleporting to the start of the sim, we stepped out of the overlooking portal room and had an exhilirating view of the massive city on our equally massive fall.As to whether or not the game has the blessing of IP owner Square Enix, not even the creators are sure. While they do the developer a service by providing a high quality sim that promotes the Final Fantasy brand to great success, they are making money (however little it may be) off of the brand. SL users can click here to go to Midgar directly.

Rolling Stone has a sprawling article about Second Life that focuses on its creator, Philip Rosedale, and it's pretty eye-opening. Rosedale equates Second Life to Burning Man, rants and raves about virtual reality, and says, "Once we have enough computing power, we can remake the world using simulation."

It's pretty obvious that without Rosedale's fanaticism for the project, Second Life never would have been born, but reading this article makes him seem a bit driven to the point of megalomania. Kushner compares Rosedale's "Rig" that he built to start the virtual experience a "Lawnmower Man-like contraption," and you probably remember how crazy that guy got.

Give the article a spin and find out a little bit behind the man who built Second Life, the problems they face, and where it'll all go from here.

If you thought First Life was a brave new frontier on the uncharted expanses of video game comedy, wait until you see this European Kit Kat ad. I don't want to ruin the ending, but let's just say that Second Life citizens like to play computer MMOs too. What? The picture above gave away the punchline? Oh well. Have a Kit Kat.

Other Second Life jokes we're waiting to see:

Fourth Life: What do citizens of Third Life do when they're bored? The hilarity never ends! Not to be confused with Forth Life, which is in your newspaper's comics.

Pi Life: Your life as a series of random, never-ending, non-repeating events. Alternatively, your life trapped in a circle. Alternatively, your life in a universe filled with pie.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adfirstfirst lifeFirstLifejokeMMOPCsecond lifeSecondLifethird lifeThirdLifeFri, 06 Apr 2007 17:25:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/04/virtual-feds-scope-out-second-life-casinos/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/04/virtual-feds-scope-out-second-life-casinos/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/04/virtual-feds-scope-out-second-life-casinos/#commentsFiled under: Culture, Online, MMO, Business, Politics"Adam Reuters," the adorable virtual persona of real-life reporter Adam Pasick, breaks a story on FBI agents checking up on the virtual gambling in nerd hangout Second Life. Since gambling isn't legal in most of the US, it presumably isn't legal on the internet either, even when it's using "Cuddle Bucks" or whatever the pretend currency in Second Life is. So far, the Feds haven't shut anything down, but stay tuned ... any time now, a whole lot of furries may have to find another place to play the slots.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fbifurriesgamblingsecond lifeSecondLifeWed, 04 Apr 2007 13:16:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/31/todays-most-recursive-game-video-third-life/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/31/todays-most-recursive-game-video-third-life/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/31/todays-most-recursive-game-video-third-life/#commentsFiled under: Culture, Online, Video, MMOSome of you, the exact number, we're not sure, have a Second Life. Others have a First Life. Today's video pick introduces the Third Life as part of a Kit Kat ad in the Netherlands. Created by UbachsWisbrun/JWT (caution: website resizes your window, plays sound, and otherwise annoys), Kit Kat only loosely ties into the joke. Regardless, the humor scores high with us gamers, and we highly recommend the video.

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama continues to revolutionize politics by making an appearance in controversial virtual world Second Lifeon March 31. A simulated (but still totally dreamy) version of Obama will mimic the motions and posture of the real deal as he chats up a small group of Iowans.

This gig wasn't organized by the Obama campaign, but by a "virtual event and promotions" company. Do you think Obama's handlers have any idea that he might be ambushed by e-penises?

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BarackObamaobamaSecondLifeFri, 30 Mar 2007 15:14:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/15/second-life-developers-say-ps-home-is-very-flattering/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/15/second-life-developers-say-ps-home-is-very-flattering/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/15/second-life-developers-say-ps-home-is-very-flattering/#commentsAnd for the record, no they didn't ask Sony if they wanted to hook up at a bar that night "IRL" (that's In Real Life for the innocent out there). We've covered the otherconsoles angles about the announcement of PS-HOME, but until now we neglected to see what Second Life thought of it, since HOME bear a strong resemblance to that... uh... "service".

Jeff Luan of Linden Lab (developers of SL) said that "mimicry is the greatest form of flattery for us." For them, yes. Thought the cliché went a little differently, but it's probably just a synonym or something. Luan isn't concerned about HOME taking away any of Second Life's users, since SL is on PC and is targeting an entirely different "market". Absolutely true, but it may create a similar market on consoles that was previously not in existence. Are any of you concerned that the PS-HOME may become something much... hmm... darker, than intended?

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Linden LabLindenLabPlayStation 3Playstation3PS-HOMEPS3Second LifeSecondLifeSonyThu, 15 Mar 2007 12:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/09/gdc-07-home-lets-you-delete-people-from-your-world/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/09/gdc-07-home-lets-you-delete-people-from-your-world/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/09/gdc-07-home-lets-you-delete-people-from-your-world/#commentsAt Sony's blogger event tonight, Phil Harrison addressed the issue of parental controls in the world of Home. Home will not only utilize the in-system PlayStation Network parental controls, but will offer you the ability to delete users from your view ... instantly. So if some prick is attacking you with flying dongs, you'll be able to have them disappear from your world at a push of a button. "I wish I could have that in real life," Phil Harrison joked.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gdc07harrisonhomeparental controlsParentalControlsphil harrisonPhilHarrisonsecond lifeSecondLifeFri, 09 Mar 2007 02:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/15/mercedes-benz-gas-brakes-and-dips-into-second-life/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/15/mercedes-benz-gas-brakes-and-dips-into-second-life/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/15/mercedes-benz-gas-brakes-and-dips-into-second-life/#commentsFiled under: Mac, PC, Driving, MMO, BusinessJoining Toyota in the continuing trend of setting up shop in Second Life is Germany's own Mercedes-Benz. This Tuesday will see the launch of not just a showroom for the luxury cars, but an entire island.

The vehicles themselves aren't ready for a test drive just yet, but a track will be available for when that feature rolls out. Which is a shame, really, as we were already planning our Second Life adventure in ghost riding.

Those who stop by for the grand opening can enjoy not only an in-game concert but some free swag as well. Anyone who visits can pick up a free Formula 1 racing suit and helmet, which will quickly be utilized in the red light district in acts that we could not possibly begin to describe here.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ghost ride the whipGhostRideTheWhipMacmercedes-benzPCsecond lifeSecondLifetoyotaThu, 15 Feb 2007 13:45:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/08/toyota-selling-new-scions-for-1-in-second-life/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/08/toyota-selling-new-scions-for-1-in-second-life/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/08/toyota-selling-new-scions-for-1-in-second-life/#commentsFiled under: Mac, PC, Online, MMO, BusinessToyota held simultaneous launches of two new Scion models today. One at the Chicago Auto Show, the other in Second Life. Both the redesigned Scion xB and brand-new xD are being offered for 300 Linden dollars ($1 USD) for use in the virtual world; a nominal fee toward becoming one of Toyota's virtual "trendsetter" promoters. The cars are being sold at kiosks in Toyota's 'Scion City' district of Second Life, where the automaker hopes to also sell unused real estate to young entrepreneurs. The idea is to grow Scion City into a bustling promotional "cultural" mecca.

Last year, Toyota invaded Whyville, a virtual playground for tweens. Scions were peddled to under-agers, with the hope of infecting their lustful minds with the brand name; the payoff coming when the young'ns came of age. Toyota sold about 173,000 Scions in 2006 and is expected to challenge General Motors as the top global automobile seller this year.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Linden LabLindenLabMacPCScionSecond LifeSecondLifeToyotaThu, 08 Feb 2007 22:25:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/01/sweden-to-open-virtual-embassy-in-second-life/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/01/sweden-to-open-virtual-embassy-in-second-life/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/02/01/sweden-to-open-virtual-embassy-in-second-life/#commentsFiled under: PC, MMOOf course, since there isn't an actual Sweden within the world of Second Life, the plans for opening a virtual Swedish embassy (not to be mistaken for the ABBA Club, which is virtually a Swedish embassy) are really part of an effort to increase tourism to the Nordic country. Illustriously dubbed, "The House of Sweden," the polygonal building will is expected to open its digital doors within the next few weeks and is said to modeled on the newly erected embassy in Washington -- not Sweden's considerably more impressive Turning Torso skyscraper (as seen to the right).

"It will have answers to questions on all aspects of Sweden," explains the Swedish Institute's Olle Wastberg. Indeed, the virtual embassy will likely serve as an enthusiastic and interactive knowledge hub, hoping to lure Second Life users into visiting Sweden in their first lives.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Linden LabsLindenLabsPCSecond LifeSecondLifeSwedenThu, 01 Feb 2007 19:25:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/22/get-a-first-life-membership-is-free/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/22/get-a-first-life-membership-is-free/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/22/get-a-first-life-membership-is-free/#commentsFiled under: Culture, Online, MMOBlogger Darren Barefoot has published a clever Second Life parody at Get A First Life dot com. The community boast over 6.5 billion residents (not inflated), free membership, and is the first 3D analog world sans server lag. Linden Labs, creators of Second Life, even sent the site a "Proceed and Permitted" letter (the opposite of a "Cease and Desist"). Nice to see the company appreciates a sense of humor. Now go outside and enjoy the beauty that is First Life.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>first lifeFirstLifehumorlinden labsLindenLabsparodysecond lifeSecondLifeMon, 22 Jan 2007 14:57:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/08/second-life-abuzz-with-source-code-release/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/08/second-life-abuzz-with-source-code-release/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/08/second-life-abuzz-with-source-code-release/#commentsFiled under: Mac, PC, Online, RPGs, MMO, BusinessLinden Lab has released the source code for the Second Life Viewer under the GPLv2 free software license, opening up its virtual world's client to a host of potential new features and improvements. The 'open source' announcement comes amidst a period of scrutiny in which the media has begun to debunk the hype and seriously question Linden Lab's reported SL user base; a recent estimate suggests that Linden Lab has inflated user numbers by more than 2 million.

Since the source code release has arrived sooner than anticipated, it's no stretch to suggest Linden Lab is attempting to redirect media buzz. Ploy or not, the open source SL era brings with it an opportunity for an unproven developer to generate some needed exposure.

Update: clarified that this is a release of the client (not full game) source code.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Linden LabLindenLabMacMMORPGOpen SourceOpenSourcePCSecond LifeSecondLifeSLSource CodeSourceCodeMon, 08 Jan 2007 13:15:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/06/second-life-backlash-gains-momentum/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/06/second-life-backlash-gains-momentum/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/06/second-life-backlash-gains-momentum/#commentsFiled under: MMO, BusinessSecond Life had a backlash coming. The overhyped virtual reality world with amazing public relations and highbrow academic love is now the focus of an increasing number of reports calling foul to their claim of 2.3 million residents. American Public Radio's Marketplace says it's actually more like 250,000.

Clay Shirky, a reporter for Fortune says, "So these aren't terrible numbers, but it's certainly a much more modest success than we've been led to believe by the business stories saying 'there are millions of people using Second Life and it's growing by leaps and bounds.'"

Linden Labs refused to comment on the Marketplace piece, which is par for the course at this point. Expect more stories like this in the near future because it's been a long time coming. Although it is good to see Linden Labs beginning to release some actual data to help diminish the backlash.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hypemarketplacePBSsecond lifeSecondLifeSat, 06 Jan 2007 15:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/03/comedian-jimmy-carr-takes-act-into-second-life/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/03/comedian-jimmy-carr-takes-act-into-second-life/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/03/comedian-jimmy-carr-takes-act-into-second-life/#commentsFiled under: Culture, PC, Online, RPGs, MMOIrish funnyman Jimmy Carr is set to become the first major comedian to perform stand-up in Second Life. On February 3, as Carr takes the stage in London, his routine will be simultaneously broadcast to a select audience in the virtual world. Will his signature deadpan survive the translation?

Carr is giving away tickets to the event through a competition on his MySpace page.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ComedianComedyIrishJimmy CarrJimmyCarrLinden LabLindenLabMMORPGPCSecond LifeSecondLifeUKVirtualWed, 03 Jan 2007 15:25:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/28/anti-gold-farming-bill-proposed-in-south-korea/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/28/anti-gold-farming-bill-proposed-in-south-korea/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/28/anti-gold-farming-bill-proposed-in-south-korea/#commentsFiled under: Online, RPGs, MMO, BusinessThe Ministry of Culture and Tourism in South Korea has proposed a bill prohibiting the sale or purchase of virtual currency for anyone gaming in the country. According to the Ars Technica article, no limits would be imposed on trading.

Never mind how logistics of trying to enforce such a law, a full prohibition on a billion-dollar industry is simply a reaction to a trend which legislators have little understanding of. Even if enacted, virtual consumerism would continue to grow. A bill that taxes virtual economies would be more realistic, but could such a bill be enforced?

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gold farmingGoldFarmingkoreasecond lifeSecondLifesouth koreaSouthKoreaworld of warcraftWorldOfWarcraftThu, 28 Dec 2006 15:27:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/20/second-life-millionaire-plagued-with-peckers/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/20/second-life-millionaire-plagued-with-peckers/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/20/second-life-millionaire-plagued-with-peckers/#commentsFiled under: Culture, Online, MMOAnshe Chung, the avatar for Second Life millionaire (in real money, not Linden Bucks) Ailin Graef, was giving an interview to CNET at their virtual offices when a griefer sent "animated flying penises" at the building for 15 minutes. After relocating to Chung's own theater, the Prick Assault followed and managed to crash the server.

While the perpetrator's intentions are unknown, the article speculates that Chung, who has turned virtual real estate into an extremely profitable venture, has made many enemies in her rise.

We don't have any images from the incident, nor do we know the identity of the griefer, but here's an idea. We could put up wanted posters all over Second Life: Have you seen this prick? Report immediately to CNET's Daniel Terdiman . Do not attempt to apprehend this prick, as it is armed and dangerous. It was last seen hanging out at Anshe Chung's theater.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anshe chungAnsheChungc netCNetsecond lifeSecondLifeWed, 20 Dec 2006 18:10:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/18/ps3-will-see-user-created-experiences-next-year-says-harrison/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/18/ps3-will-see-user-created-experiences-next-year-says-harrison/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/18/ps3-will-see-user-created-experiences-next-year-says-harrison/#commentsFiled under: Sony PlayStation 3, Online, BusinessUser-created content, which has long been a fixture in the world of PC gaming, has never managed to gain any real traction on consoles, be that due to technological constraints or a lack of online connectivity. With both of those issues out of the way in modern systems, the time is ripe for users to interact and share their creations and experiences. Sony's Phil Harrison gets behind the idea in a revealing interview with MTV's Stephen Totilo, opining* that gaming needs to move away from presenting "closed experiences."

If games are to break free (God knows they want to break free), there needs to be a constant flow of communication between Sony and gamers -- more importantly, Harrison insists that said communication flows in both directions (give us money, here's your money). "Next year you're going to see user-created experiences in a number of interesting ways on PlayStation 3," goes the official and spectacularly vague PR line. A Second Life-styled virtual network has oft been rumored, but Harrison fell victim to "line distortion" before Totilo could get any concrete information about it.

So, what entails a "user-created experience?" In the worst case, it's a custom wallpaper and a shared photo between friends. In the best case? Oh, it could be anything, from personalized in-game T-shirts to deadly dungeons designed to foil your friends. Be sure to ask us about it next year.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>console modsConsoleModsmodsMTVPhil HarrisonPhilHarrisonPS3PS3 second lifePs3SecondLifesecond lifeSecondLifeSony PRSonyPrStephen TotiloStephenTotilouser-created contentuser-created experienceUser-createdContentUser-createdExperiencevirtual worldsVirtualWorldsMon, 18 Dec 2006 20:25:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/13/analyzing-the-press-second-life-obsession/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/13/analyzing-the-press-second-life-obsession/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/13/analyzing-the-press-second-life-obsession/#commentsFiled under: PC, Online, MMOFor the past few years, journalists in both the gaming and mainstream press (Joystiq included) have been enamored with Second Life, covering every minornew"first" in the quickly growing virtual world as more evidence that it is destined to become the first true metaverse. Valleywag contributor Clay Shirkey has taken a good look at this press hype and determined that Second Life is a phenomenon "built on sand."

Shirkey's major argument is that Second Life's impressive registered user numbers are inflated by a "Try Me" effect where people sign up, tinker around, and then leave in relatively short order. While there are over 1.9 million registered Second Life accounts, Shirkey estimates that there are less than 10,000 or so active users walking the game's servers at any one time. That's not nothing, but as Shirkey puts it, "in a billion-person internet, that population is also a rounding error."

Shirkey points to other failed metaverse experiments like MUDs and VRML that were once touted as the holy grail of virtual spaces only to quickly fade to obscurity. He doesn't quite make the same prediction for Second Life's eventual fate, but he makes a good case for the virtual world becoming more of an social niche than an Internet revolution.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hypePCpressSecond LifeSecondLifeWed, 13 Dec 2006 16:25:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/04/economist-taxing-virtual-property-is-inevitable/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/04/economist-taxing-virtual-property-is-inevitable/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/04/economist-taxing-virtual-property-is-inevitable/#commentsFiled under: Culture, Online, MMO, BusinessAny economist will tell you, ad infinitum, that there is no such thing as a free lunch. In virtual worlds, people can make high profits by producing goods where there are no tangible costs (only time). Such alchemists are not going to be happy with comments made by Dan Miller, a senior economist with the Congress' Joint Economic Committee.

Miller notes that, "given growth rates of 10 to 15 percent a month, the question is when, not if, Congress and IRS start paying attention to these issues ... so it is incumbent on us to set the terms and the debate so we have a shaped tax policy toward virtual worlds and virtual economies in a favorable way."

The details of a virtual tax would be hard to assemble, and this CNET article highlights some of the major issues with implementing such a tax. Our take? We're not sure how one could even track all transactions, much less verifying what country in which they reside, but with people making millions building virtual houses and gold farming, they should at least be giving some of that back to the community.

Virtual realty is becoming a big business these days. At the forefront of virtual stuff is Second Life; whenever we hear about some bizarre or amazing cash transaction involving fake goods, Second Life always seems to be part of the equation.

A player by the name of Ailin Graef, a Second Life land speculator of sorts, has just surpassed the $1 million point in the game. She started with a paltry $9.95 and her wheelin' and dealin' got her a massive return on investment. Talk about the ultimate stay-at-home job.

The world of virtual realty does look quite tasty, but the ultimate question is will it last? None of the property actually exists and could be wiped out by a simple virus. Still, Ms. Graef's business is doing so well she opened up an office in China and is hoping to expand to 50 employees. Anyone else make big bucks selling fake stuff?

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Second LifeSecondLifeMon, 27 Nov 2006 20:45:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/20/grey-goo-attacks-second-life/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/20/grey-goo-attacks-second-life/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/20/grey-goo-attacks-second-life/#commentsFiled under: Culture, PC, Online, MMOSecond Life was attacked over the weekend by a worm that created self-replicating rings, similar to the ones from Sonic games. When users touched them, the rings multiplied, clogging the game world with what Linden Labs called "grey goo." The service was closed briefly to clean up the rings and their nefarious code.

While we don't play much Second Life, we're fascinated by its culture. We think that that a big part of general society will eventually meet in an MMO world; these interfaces may turn into the next generation of the internet. And the attack reminds us that pranksters -- or worse -- will always be present.

Second Life is still a miniscule scale of what MMOs could become. Will these sorts of hacks prevent MMOs from reaching the general population?

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gray gooGrayGoogrey gooGreyGooLinden LabsLindenLabsPCSecond LifeSecondLifeMon, 20 Nov 2006 17:25:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/15/kids-schooled-in-second-life/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/15/kids-schooled-in-second-life/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/15/kids-schooled-in-second-life/#commentsFiled under: Culture, PC, OnlineKids these days with their online avatars ... Why, when we went to school, we we had to put on clothing and shuffle off to a real classroom. Today's kids are apparently taking classes within Second Life, phoning netting it in from their rooms.CNN says that more than 60 colleges and other educational institutions hold classes inside Second Life. The article also describes a real sense of community between remote students in the virtual world, almost as if they were sharing an actual classroom.

This might make us sound old, but we don't quite believe that the quality of the virtual meeting space can approach the real world. But we old-school curmudgeons have never taken a class within Second Life and might be underestimating its power; maybe we'll be telling our grandkids what a real-world school-bell sounded like.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>classroomcollegePCschoolSecond LifeSecondLifeWed, 15 Nov 2006 04:05:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/15/edelman-is-your-new-second-life-neighbor/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/15/edelman-is-your-new-second-life-neighbor/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/15/edelman-is-your-new-second-life-neighbor/#commentsFiled under: Culture, PC, Online, BusinessPR and marketing firm, Edelman is entering the world of Second Life without any overt marketing agenda -- at least none that seems to exploit the online residents. Instead, Edelman is working with virtual commerce group, The Electric Sheep Company, to offer a competition and seed funding for a Second Life-based business plan.

Edelman and Electric Sheep are also launching a machinima video blog within Second Life, further burrowing into the virtual space. Should Second Life players be nervous that more corporate entities keep appearing within the world? Probably. But we cautiously applaud these Edelman plans; it sounds like the company is trying to build a respectable reputation within the community.